Natural Lube…Can We Use Coconut Oil?

We are back again to talk about lube! Since our last blog about personal lubricants to be used during sex got pretty nerdy and talked about pH and osmolality of lubricants, so maybe I can try to keep this topic a little less of a science class…..but no promises!

A question that I get asked on occasion is whether or not it is safe to use coconut oil as a personal lubricant during sex. Short answer, yes, most likely. Read on for the details:

One instance where I would NOT recommend using coconut oil is if you are using a latex product such as a condom for pregnancy prevention or as a barrier for sexually transmitted infections. Any oil based lubricant can cause breakdown of latex products, and therefore can make condoms less effective in preventing pregnancy or acquiring sexually transmitted infections.

Secondly, oil based lubricants take longer to clear out from the woman’s vagina and can be problematic for women who are prone to bacterial infections, urinary tract infections (UTIs), or yeast overgrowth. There are also a few glands that sit at the opening of the vaginal canal which can become clogged and develop into painful cysts, so if you’ve ever experiencing a vaginal cyst you may benefit more from using a water based lubricant rather than oil based.

For many women, coconut oil is a safe oil-based lubricant to use during intercourse. One of the greatest benefits is that it is a plant based and naturally occurring oil. There is a lot to say about natural ingredients whether we are looking at food ingredient labels or lubricant ingredient labels. We should be evaluating the ingredients listed on our lubricant that can be absorbed into our vaginal tissues. There are a number of ingredients that are commonly used in personal lubricants that are actually very unhealthy for vaginal tissue. A few ingredients to avoid in your lubricant ingredient list are:

• Glycerin(e)

• Propylene Glycol

• Nonoxynol 9 and Chlorhexidine Gluconate

• Petroleum Oils

• Polyquaternium-15

• Benzocaine

• Sugars (maltose, dextrose, glucose, honey, etc)

So, if your ingredient list is simply “coconut oil” it’s probably not a bad option! However, if you need to use a water based lubricant for one of the reasons mentioned before, there are also a number of good water based lubricants that do not have all of the ingredients listed above. If you have questions about lubricants or what type of lubricant might be best for you and your partner, feel free to reach out the pelvic floor therapists at SHIFT Physical Therapy and Wellness to help you find the right match for your needs.

Written by: Renee Hancock, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist